Today it’s time for a challenged challenge! This post is both part of the A to Z Challenge and The Lazy Pit Bull’s blog hop* 52 Snapshots of Life – A weekly themed photo challenge.This week’s topic is blessing.

I was in psychiatric ward exactly one year ago. I suffered from severe depression and anxiety disorder. I’m still on a long-term sick leave, but I’m feeling much better this spring. A year ago, it felt impossible to recover. I freaked out when people told me that I needed to be patient, and time will heal. I couldn’t imagine a future. At all.

The hospital’s psychologist asked me what I would choose if I could change something in my life.
I answered that I wanted to get cats. This was the first time I felt the urgent need of living with cats, and I was surprised myself. However, I couldn’t get cats due to my financial situation. When my family and friends heard about my longing for cats, they promised to support me. They don’t only support me, but even convinced me to accept their offer.

Two cats will move into my house in less than two weeks. I can’t believe that this is really happening. I’m becoming a cat owner! I wished I could talk to this sad girl in hospital. I’d like to tell her that she’s right about some things: I still feel bad and have difficulties handling my life. However, things are slowly improving. A future seems possible. One big dream will be fulfilled in 2015 – I’ll have cats. It’s so hard to describe what my cats really mean to me.

I’m blessed with a great family and friends. They can’t treat my depression and anxiety, but they support me and make my dream come true. That’s why I chose a picture of Kajsa and Tessa for this week’s photo challenge. I’m also grateful that I live in a society which accepts mental health disorders, and ensures that I get treated. Whilst many aspects of my life are quite bad, two major parts are in place: my own social circles and the society I’m living in.

Talking about ‘impossible’: I met my psychiatrist today. I’ve been almost manic during the last weeks, there’s so much happening in my life right now. I don’t sleep enough and have severe problems to calm down. I may have to slow down this blog for a while. I’ll still try to write a daily post, but I’ve to cut the amount of time and energy I spent online and elsewhere. I still have to cat-proof some parts of my home, and I need to prioritize that. Please don’t be surprised if I don’t comment on your blogs for some time. I’ll come back when my cats have moved in, and things are more settled. It’s too much at once now.

I told Kajsa and Tessa that my shrink wants me to calm down. They seem to understand my situation, and want to help me.

*A blog hop is a specific topic bloggers write about on a certain day. The blog hop (hopping from one blog to another) collects all links, and makes it easy to see how others have interpreted this topic. This posting was part of The Lazy Pit Bull’s blog hop on Blessing.

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You should be proud of yourself because it takes tremendous strength to deal with an illness like depression and anxiety. The brain is something doctors still know so little about so it is often trial and error and you are often the guinea pig. Animals can heal in so many ways. Glad you have a great network of friends and family. You are in good company because Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt and Patton (OK he was a general but a great one) all suffered from bi-polar disorder and had anxieties

I love the blog hops and participate in both of these. Some day when you have more time, you will have to try the photo editing one for Caturday and there is a fun fill-in one too. I don’t always do them on the right day, but as long as you can still enter the link then it is fine.

It was your blog which taught me a lot about blogging. I didn’t even know what a blog hop is. I don’t intend to be a “copy cat”, and I was a bit afraid you might experience I’m copying you. I just don’t really know how to blog, so I’m grateful I can get inspirations from other blogs.

A year later, that future is here. I so agree about depression and anxiety – only I would always seek a ‘quick fix’ rather than taking things steady – so I really admire your path. And I think Tessa and Kajsa will really be the best medicine and therapy – cats just KNOW. And remember, nothing else matters except you. The blog world is fantastic, but it’s also a place where we can put pressure on ourselves to post, to visit, to comment – but it is all voluntary and you have to do what helps you. I blog because I enjoy it and love taking photos of my cats – that others find it enjoyable to read is a major bonus for me but I think I’d still post even so. And it’s therapy for me and I have made some amazing friends as a result. I would never have believed that five years ago when I started.
Take care, and love your cats.

Thank you! And yes, cats know! It feels like therapy when I visit them at the shelter. On some days, I have been a bit grumpy, but they made me smile.

That’s exactly what I meant. I enjoy blogging and the blogging community. It’s a lot of fun, but at the same time very time-consuming. And I feel some pressure on following back. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, and I really love the blogs I’m following, but it’s too much right now.

I’m so glad that your life has been blessed with Kajsa and Tessa. It’s been my experience that living with and loving pets can bring so much good into our lives. Your babies are beautiful, and so lucky to have you!

(p.s., sorry for the delay in getting the blog hop up and going this week! I ran into a personal snag and it just slowed everything down! By the time you read this comment, my post will be live and you can click over and get the blog hop code!)

And nevermind – I do understand that every blogger has a real life as well. As Punapippuri wrote: “The blog world is fantastic, but it’s also a place where we can put pressure on ourselves to post, to visit, to comment”. You shouldn’t feel any pressure about your blog hop. I just didn’t know what to do; I wanted to give you the credits for the blog hop, and it felt bad to publish my post without the code. If I hadn’t participated in the A to Z challenge, I would have posted another entry; it wouldn’t have mattered whether the blessing post is published on a Friday or Saturday. I needed to post the I letter though… what a mess! 😀

That is so wonderful. Mom says with us pets around her, it is very hard for her to feel down, and we give her a good reason to get up and get going every day. So happy you have your kitties, true blessings.

Good for you for overcoming such a massive obstacle last year and for now so bluntly stating what your needs are. I have been being told over and over again from all sorts of places that I need to take better care of myself… this post and your bravery are wonderful inspiration. As are cats and pets in general, right? Thank you and may peace and wellness be with you.

To be the mouse or the cat

One human, two cats and “Not-Me” living in the suburbs of Helsinki. Which one of us can only play when the other one’s away? I think the human is the cat and my cats are the mice. I’ll explain why as soon as I get this butt off my face.

I suffer from depression and anxiety disorder, and I also write about the impact of cats on mental health.

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